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Facebook: What’s this Negative Comment Doing Here?!

It started with a politely worded e-mail from our Web agency stating that we received “some negative feedback” on our Facebook page. But what we really got was a lesson in customer service for the social media age.

Here’s what happened:

About a year and a half ago, our hospital launched a comprehensive social media program, which included a Facebook page. Our page boasted a modest number of fans, updates from our blogs, event announcements, and positive news.

Then, we moved into a new hospital.

Maybe it’s the newness of the hospital that got to our fans. Maybe the kinks still need to be worked out. Maybe it’s that while we didn’t move far, we are seeing a different group of patients coming to us. They are wired. They are motivated. They have expectations. They have iPhones.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a few negative posts appear on our Facebook page, which concerned (read: freaked out) a few hospital leaders. One of the posts this week; however, created dialogue among other users who also had negative experiences. As I read the string, a small amount of concern crept in (OK, OK, I freaked out) as to what we should do.

We came up with a novel concept.

What if we...responded?

A process was created:
• Send negative comments to proper departments right away. Then, follow-up with the department to make sure someone contacts the user soon (within 24 hours of the posting).
• Respond to the user with an apology and an assurance of a follow-up.
• Keep the negative comments up, unless they violate Facebook privacy policies (e.g. abusive comments, calling out employees by name, etc.).

Would it work?

Well, we think so.

Later, we received a nice post from the patient thanking us for following up, responding to her post and doing the right thing for her and her family.

Next Week: Why Blocking Employee Access to Facebook is a Bad Plan...

Comments (6)

gpt:

Sorry, but this sounds like good old customer service. What is so revolutionary about routing a complaint and then responding immediately? The media of response might change, but the concept is so simple that it boggles the mind that anyone would not understand that it is Customer Service/Care 101.

Josh M:

Yes, GPT, you are correct. Nothing revolutionary here, except the lack of process & the public nature of the comments for all to view. While our hospital prides itself on being ahead of the curve with social media/online presence, we still have a lot to learn--and have learned from other organizations who do it well!
Josh

Great post! To the earlier commenters post, it may be old school customer service but that is by no means a fault. Rather it is a credit. That attention to service through a new media is what makes realtme social tools so valuabe. Kudos for being on point with the action and follow up.
We have had many similar service recovery success stories through social media. It proves the value of being part of the conversation. .

Josh M:

Thanks, Nick! I think (especially healthcare) organizations are so enamored with having new media, sometimes they forget to actually "use" the right way. This was what we learned. I've been surprised with the number of emails we've received from people assuming that their comments/emails/online submissions were simply going into a vacuum.
Josh

Marketing success -- esp. in health care -- is all about relationships. It's an obvious statement that is often overlooked. A hospital can seem big & impersonal, so responding to comments is key to making the community feel like you are on to the things that are most important to them. Good post! Josh - can you send me an email w/ your contact info?

Charles:

This is NOT "good old customer service" simply because apologies in the good old days were never made in such a public forum. This is "new" customer service and it forces marketers to go above and beyond what was done in pre-SM days. In fact, any resolution in the past was really between the hospital and the patient, plus whoever that patient could tell via WOM. With such a small ripple effect, hospitals could "give in" to many crazy requests without fear of starting a groundswell. Today, hospitals have to negotiate with patients (some of who are entirely out of line) in front of the rest of the world and the settlements are there for all to see. With this new found patient power, it will be interesting to see how hospitals deal with negative comments from those people who really are just looking to take advantage of the new system.

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About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on February 5, 2010 12:30 PM .

The previous post in this blog was I'm Sick of Looking at Brochures .

The next post in this blog is Nurses Shouldn’t Be Playing Farmville, but… .

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

photo of Josh McColough

Josh McColough is the manager of public affairs at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill. He has been in health care marketing/PR for nearly eight years now. He's done everything from grow social media and web marketing programs to chase tardy hospital parade floats down residential streets while in flip-flops. McColough earned an MFA from the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program and continues to write and teach English Composition at the College of Lake County part-time.

About the Pulse

How many ways can we describe The Pulse?
Oh, let us count the ways:

Professionally: Experiences and challenges of marketing a hospital from a healthcare marketing manager.

Honestly: Sometimes flawed and always harried advice from a healthcare marketing manager.

Post-Modern: This blog description is for The Pulse, which is by Josh McColough and relates mostly to healthcare marketing experiences at a community hospital.

Our favorite way: Tales of a healthcare nothing.

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